17 Ethical, Sustainable and Unique Gift Ideas for Holiday, 2016

I wrote about how much I love my new all-natural latex mattress—but if you aren’t ready to go all-in on a mattress, try out a set of pillows first, like these from Sleep on Latex. The pinhole design and open cell structure of the foam allow air to flow through the pillow, keeping the you cool. Because of the elastic nature of latex foam, you’ll never have to fluff this pillow to make it comfortable.

Spratters & Jayne makes the most gorgeous knitwear you’ve ever seen, but of particular note is their Loop Handspun Collab, which is in partnership with Steph Gorin:

Exclusive to this collection, these incredible yarns are made by hand by Steph in her studio in a beautiful pre-Civil War textile mill in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. Her work embraces the history of the mill, reflecting her fascination with traditional ‘women’s work’ as seen through a lens of time.

Steph uses color like no one else, blending unexpected combinations into magnificent, endless permutations. Created from sustainably sourced merino wool, silk and bamboo, Loop yarns are made with an ultra low carbon footprint.

 

Not all terrariums are created equal. That’s why we love Vermont based Simon Pearce’s beautiful selection of hand blown glass terrariums in three different sizes. Along with your bold and beautiful Simon Pearce terrarium, pick up a book on creating terrariums along with the succulents and supplies for your loved one to create his/her own. Simon Pearce is known for its American handcrafted glassware, homeware and ceramics, so you can make a real one-of-a-kind gift statement purchasing anything on their site, such as ornaments, platters, or decanters. Proceeds from the company’s Love Your Brain collection of candleholders goes toward founder Simon’s son Kevin’s nonprofit, founded to promote a mindful approach to brain injury prevention and recovery.

Punjammies are loungepants made with hope by women in India who have escaped human trafficking. Whenever you purchase Punjammies, you invest in the freedom and dignity of these women and girls who are working to forge a new life for themselves and their children. I bought a pair of the Leela pants this summer and I’ve worn them all over the place (even out and about for errands with nice flats and a t-shirt and scarf!). They are cozy in bed as well.

 

 

Being kidless, I’m clueless year after year about what to get the kids in my life. That all changed when I discovered Beru Kids earlier this year. Produced entirely in downtown Los Angeles, Beru repurposes deadstock materials from big name brands (that would otherwise be thrown away) into original styles for kids. The close connection to its sustainable supply chain and partner factories really enables founder, Sofia Melograno  and designer, Kim, to get creative—dying fabrics different colors, or graphically designing patterns that are printed directly on the materials. “Purchasing garments that are made ethically and that have a traceable supply chain ultimately supports the greater mission of changing the low standards that exist in the fashion industry,” said Sofia. “You’re helping move away from the status quo that is cheap production, excess waste, and often times child labor.”

 

MATTER is socially motivated clothing company dedicated to transparency. Our managing editor Lindsay loves their apparel as each design is colorful, gorgeous and ethical. The company fosters designer-artisan collaborations, and makes the most beautiful scarves that are hand blockprinted in Jaipur, Rajasthan with fourth generation artisans. Shop MATTER’S 12 Days of Christmas on Instagram. (Love these pants in particular!)

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the watermen culture and lifestyle — casual, relaxed, and fun. Valued by professional collectors and by millions of vacationers and servicemen, these shirts are enjoying a fashion revival.

 

Plant: Exploring the Botanical World is THE table top book to get the plant lover in your life this season. Plant is geared at articulating questions that humans have grappled with since what feels like the beginning of time: What is the history of our human fascination with plants, and why is that relationship so compelling? This Fall, Eco-Chick helped celebrate Plant‘s release with publisher Phaidon Press at a beautiful Botany Salon put on by our friends at Garden Collage.

Weaving fine art photography, natural history, nature connection, conservation, and the ecopsychology of the human-tree relationship, this book is an invitation to heal from the madness of modern civilization and rewild ourselves by cultivating our own intimate relationship with nature. Each tree species, includes one to four photographs, the tree’s natural history, ethnobotany and conservation status, and a narrative caption of TreeGirl’s encounter with the tree.